‘More than 1 in 4 Mumbaiites living with either diabetes or hypertension’

As many as 32,000 people have appeared for the NCD screening across civic hospitals in the city since August. After the screening, it emerged that 12% of the people have blood pressure levels higher than normal, 11% have high blood sugar and 5% have both

Mumbai: More than one in four people screened for non-communicable diseases (NCD) in the city by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have either diabetes or hypertension.

‘More than 1 in 4 Mumbaiites living with either diabetes or hypertension’

As many as 32,000 people have appeared for the NCD screening across civic hospitals in the city since August. After the screening, it emerged that 12% of the people have blood pressure levels higher than normal, 11% have high blood sugar and 5% have both.

The NCD screening is an effort by the BMC to detect the high incidences of such diseases in the city. The idea was conceived after the World Health Organization (WHO) STEPs survey conducted in 2021 revealed that 18% Mumbaiites in the 18 to 69 years age group had higher than normal (126 mg/dl) fasting blood glucose levels.

As per the Civil Registration System (CRS) 2021, 14% of total deaths in the city were attributed to diabetes.

Subsequent to these revelations, the public health department of the BMC started the NCD corners in 15 civic hospitals. A total of 32,096 patients have been screened at the corners till now.

With the help of experts from the Indian Dietetic Association (IDA), the patients found positive for any NCD are also being given dietary and lifestyle modification counselling in the dispensaries being run by the civic body.

“This facility is available in more than 200 municipal dispensaries and HBT Clinics. The citizens concerned about their health can get screening, confirmation and treatment of diabetes and hypertension,” said Dr Sanjeev Kumar, additional municipal commissioner, BMC.

BMC is simultaneously running another programme called - Mata Surakshit Tar Ghar Surakshit- that focuses on maternal health, especially diabetes control.

The campaign was launched on September 26 and screened 1,03,420 women above 30 years for fasting blood glucose. 7,475 women out of them were diagnosed with diabetes.